Fashion: A Century of British Couture in Pictures

This fascinating book traces the development and style of women’s and men's clothing from the end of the 19th century to the present day in an intriguing selection of fashion photography from the vast archives of the Mirror Group's Mirrorpix – a collection of images that spans more than a century of British and world history.Catwalk, studio and fashion-shoot photographs reflect the real-life social changes and attitudes that brought about the look of what we wore, and wear – from the bustles and heavy tightly-laced corsets of the Victorian era, through the softer, more fluid lines and brighter colours of the Edwardian period, to the scandalously short skirts and boyish look of the 1920s; from the austerity of the 1930s and conservative ration-driven outfits of the war years to the opulent materials, narrow waists and swirling skirts of the 1950s; from the non-conformist hippy styles of the 'Swinging Sixties', through the outlandish disco-inspired horrors of the 1970s, to the broad-shouldered business chic of the 1980s; from the starkly simple, minimalist styles of the 1990s to the more colourful, softer, more feminine clothes of the present day. Men’s clothing, too, has undergone many changes during this period, from the simple, conservative ‘suit for all occasions’ to a far wider, more casual and more colorful look. Here, too, are the designers, the models and celebrities who influenced what we wore over the course of more than a century.
A visual record of the British people's habits of dress from the Victorians to Britpop. It takes us on a journey through a hundred years of fashion and style, both on the London catwalks and on the streets of ordinary towns.